TIVVY ARCHIVE

Evesham United 3 - 1 Tiverton Town

The four-match revival that Tiverton had enjoyed was brought to a halt against an Evesham United side that attacked with pace and skill and showed no shortage of desire to shoot from distance. Two of the Robins’ three goals came from shots from well outside the area, and it was the pace and trickery of Isaac Shaze that kept Tivvy from pressing high up the pitch. Joe Bushin grabbed a goal back fifteen minutes from time, and even though the Yellows improved towards the end of the match the damage had already been done.

The first chance for the hosts came just five minutes in when Marcus Palmer raced onto a long back only to drag his shot across the face of goal and wide, an effort similar to that which was missed at the other end by Liam Ellis just moments before. And by this stage Evesham’s game-plan was already clear hit on the counter attack and stretch the game.

Shaze had Ryan Draper beaten midway through the first half but saw his audacious toe-punt from the edge of the area crash off the underside of the crossbar and away from danger, but United were soon ahead, typically with a swift move from deep. David Accam was fed down the left, used his blistering pace to drift past Tom Gardner, and with the Tivvy defence stretched Shaze was able to get free in the area to meet a low cross and finish clinically.

It took just eight further minutes from the Yellows to be undone again; another direct ball into the channels acting as the catalyst. This time there wasn’t a red shirt in place to collect but Ellis’s defensive header was weak and fell to Palmer 30 yards from goal. The big striker took half a touch to steady himself and then dipped in a fine shot that left Draper well beaten.

James Blake could have increased Tivvy’s misery before the break but nodded wide as Accam once again forced the Tiverton defensive line to retreat, while the Yellows best chance fell to Michael Nardiello but he also headed wide to round off a set piece move that left Kevin Hill with almost too much time at one stage in the build up.

Shaze was denied a second goal when the linesman’s flag brought to an end an attack which saw the diminutive pair of Accam and Shaze toying with the Tiverton defence and playing quick one-twos in an almost teasing manner, but Shaze got his reward just past the hour mark when he punished another poor error. This time it was Russell Jee who was the culprit, playing a careless cross-filed pass that was easily cut out, and Shaze, just like Palmer in the first half, had eyes only for goal. Another touch to control and compose, another dipping and swerving shot from 25 yards or more, another Evesham goal.

Tivvy now had nothing to lose but at least a bit of pride to salvage and to their credit they kept batting. Sampson and Ellis both saw shots blocked, the latter by Anthony Watson and luckily for the home side the ball span viciously wide for a corner when it could so easily have looped over goalkeeper Nathan Vaughan’s sprawling dive and into the net.

Bushin’s strike was a just reward for the hard work he had put in on an individual level, and in fact a decent team goal to boot. Ellis decisively took possession from Ian Sampson and played a quick pass to Nardiello, and then swiftly from one striker to the next, Bushin was now in ownership of the ball and beat Vaughan – who had been struggling with a shoulder injury throughout – from just inside the box with a low shot.

Nardiello miskicked at the near post when meeting Sampson’s low cross but on balance a second Tivvy goal would have been an injustice to Evesham. It could have been more than three for United had Draper not palmed away shots from each of the three forwards, and Gardner nearly got himself on the scoresheet at the wrong end in added time as the hosts never dropped their work rate.

Tivvy can take a little heart from the final fifteen minutes but on the whole the better side won. Evesham, particularly Palmer, Accam and Shaze, were excellent and Tivvy struggled to deal with them. That said, two of the three goals came from blunders by yellow shirts – good finishes indeed but chances that shouldn’t have been presented – and the consistency that had gradually developed for Town over the past month suddenly disappeared. Next up is Oxford City, a huge game indeed.

Evesham United: Nathan Vaughan, Anthony Watson, Jamie Hyde, Wayne Daniel, Kevin Spencer, Craig Wilding, James Blake, Hegel Noubissie, Marcus Palmer, Isaac Shaze, Davic Accam
Goals: Shaze 24, 66, Palmer 32
Booked: Spencer 40
Sent off: None

Tiverton Town: Ryan Draper, Ian Sampson, Ryan Turner (David Steele 46), Kevin Hill, Liam Ellis, Tom Gardner, Adam Faux, Russell Jee (Adam Mortimer 74), Michael Nardiello, Joe Bushin, Ryan Leonard
Goal: Bushin 75
Booked: None
Sent off: None

Attendance: 116